The Golden State Warriors are currently in pursuit of LeBron James, who is the hottest name in NBA free agency this offseason.
Draymond Green opted out of his contract with the Warriors to help the franchise land the four-time MVP. Green has been in Golden State since 2012, helping the Warriors win four championships in 2015, 2017, 2017 and 2022.
Former NBA Rival Gives Draymond Green His Flowers
GettyDraymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors drives against Tristan Thompson #13 of the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2 of the 2018 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on June 3, 2018 in Oakland, California.
On a recent appearance on the Club Shay Shay podcast, former Cleveland Cavaliers big man Tristan Thompson discussed a variety of topics, including their rivalry with the Golden State Warriors.
Thompson had plenty of battles with Draymond Green on and off the court, which included an altercation back in 2018 during the ESPY’s afterparty, as reported by Yahoo! Sports’ Jason Owens.
They have since patched things up, mainly due to their friendship with LeBron James. Thompson gave Green a huge compliment when talking about the Warriors-Cavs rivalry.
He even went as far as saying that Green could have won the 2016 NBA Finals MVP if Golden State didn’t blow a 3-1 lead.
“Let me tell you something right now, if they win that (2016 title), Draymond gets MVP. He had 30 (points) 10 (rebounds) and 10 (assists) or something,” Thompson said.
In Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, Green had 32 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists. He was the Warriors’ best player in that game, with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson scoring just 17 and 14 points, respectively.
It was a valid take from Thompson, especially if the Warriors’ won Game 7.
Green averaged 16.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.0 block in that series. He also shot 48.6% from the field, 40.6% from 3-point range and 78.3% from the free-throw line.
What Happened Between Draymond Green and Tristan Thompson?
GettyTristan Thompson #13 of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors get involved in a altercation in overtime during Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on May 31, 2018 in Oakland, California.
Things reached a boiling point between Draymond Green and Tristan Thompson in the 2018 NBA Finals. They had an on-court altercation in Game 1 that led to Thompson’s ejection.
It didn’t stop there since they had another incident during the ESPY’s afterparty a month later, with LeBron James and Kevin Durant among those in attendance.
In an episode of The Draymond Green Show back in March 2023, Green discussed what happened between him and Thompson, with the Cleveland Cavaliers big man as his special guest.
Green revealed that he confronted Thompson despite pushback from Rich Paul and Maverick Carter. He wanted to punch his rival, but Thompson had too much alcohol already and charged at him first.
“I go up to Double T like, ‘Hey, bro. What’s up, bro?’ I’m just coming in hot,” Green said. “Dawg, charged at me. Now, mind you, it’s Delilah tequila, drinks, floor slippery as hell. Dude charged at me. I’m sliding back.”
The fight was quickly broken up, and the two players made up that same night. They even had more drinks, and their relationship grew from then.
Draymond Green Gets Huge Compliment From Former NBA Rival